How are you more likely to make an important decision — by reasoning through it, or by going with your gut?

I rarely make decisions spontaneously, by going with my gut. I rarely do anything spontaneously. I am not a spontaneous person. I am a thoughtful person. I need to think things through. I need to reason them out, even what I’m going to eat. I like to plan ahead. I like structure. I like to know what’s coming. I don’t like surprises. That’s just the way I am.

That being said, it’s no surprise that when I have to make an important decision, I gather all the facts I can about the problem or the situation. I then consult other people or references on the Internet or by phone if I need to, or in person, perhaps. I make sure that I do my research on the problem or situation that affects the decision. When I have as much information that I can gather about the problem or the situation, then I analyze it. Analyzing all the information and the opinions of others helps me to formulate my own decision. Only when I have all the facts and opinions of others can I reach my own conclusions comfortably.

So my decision-making is made is a very reasoned, rational way. It takes facts and research and the opinions of knowledgable others into consideration. The expertise of others is very important in this process. I rely on the experience of others to inform me. But I also rely on facts and my own research to tell me what I don’t know about the problem or situation. All this information helps me to reach my own conclusion or reach my own decision. The decision must be my own and no one else’s. I must own it. I can’t just adopt someone else’s decision as my own. I must reason through it and believe it to be my own before I can be comfortable with it. This is really important to the process. It has to be MY decision, not someone else’s. I am the responsible one.

That is the process behind my decision-making. It’s a little involved. But I’m not a spontaneous person. I’m just not. But I think my decision a better because I’m a thoughtful person.

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About mairedubhtx

I am a "youngish" grandmother of 15 year old twin granddaughter who has recently (is a year "recent"?) adopted Islam as my way of life, much to the consternation of my family. I love to read. I love to write. I am writing a book about my decision to revert, about my spiritual journey. I have another blog about stories from my youth, my parents, and grandparents. It's a blog so my OCD daughter will not be able to throw it out when I die. I suffer from depression and anxiety, for which I am treated, so my posts may be a bit dark at times. C'est la vie.